"Chrismons"
December 14, 2008
The Reverend Thomas C. Willadsen
A colleague of mine was once asked to preach a sermonette on a Sunday with a very full worship service. He responded, "Sermonettes are for Christianettes!" This morning I will preach seven sermonettes. I hope that the sum of these seven messages will total a complete sermon when I'm done.
First Lesson: Revelation 1:8 Alpha & Omega Chrismon
Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. We have one of these symbols in the northeast most stained glass window. This symbols says that Christ is the first and the last. The beginning and the end. It's like saying A to Z, or to show you that I'm bilingual, I'll say that in Canadian, A to Zed.
Christians believe that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the three persons in the trinity have existed for all time. When we speak of eternity, we mean that God will not only exist forever in the future, but God has always existed to the eternal past.
Alpha to Omega is one way we can conceive of and speak of God's eternal nature.
SECOND LESSON: Luke 1:26-31 Iota Eta Sigma Chrismon
We see this symbol on the fabric on the front of the pulpit. It looks like HIS, and maybe you think it stands for Independent High School. Actually it's the Greek letters Iota Eta and Sigma. The first three letters of Jesus in Greek. This Chrismon reminds us that Mary was instructed to name her son Jesus.
THIRD LESSON: Matthew 2:1-2 Star Chrismon
Of all the decorations we see at Christmastime, the star is the most widely used religious decoration. The star was the sign that God used to announce the birth of the King of the Jews. But here's something startling: It was astrologers, magi from the East, sages from a different culture who spotted this sign. Observant Jews are forbidden from looking at the stars in the sky to predict the future. So the announcement was made to outsiders, who brought the news to Bethlehem.
Stars have been used to navigate for centuries. They shine brightly, and especially when the Northern Hemisphere is getting dark and cold as winter nears, the stars shine even more brightly.
FOURTH LESSON: John 1:24- 34 Lamb & Dove Chrismons
We have a lot of doves in the art in our sanctuary. There's a fabric dove on the north wall. There's a dove in the stained glass window on the east wall. It's flying back to the ark with an olive branch, a sign that the flood and God's anger have abated. My favorite one is the one on the south side of the sanctuary, at the top. See how the dove is flying down toward the open Bible? That symbolizes that we read the Bible, guided by the Holy Spirit. And the fabric dove is flying up, which symbolizes our response to God, just as the descending dove symbolizes our need for God's guidance from the Holy Spirit.
[I neglected to mention the dove in our church's mission statement banner. It hangs on the west wall of the sanctuary. So we have doves in all four cardinal directions]]
We have a several lambs in our stained glass windows. The one in the east window is the lamb from the Book of Revelation, who is a worthy sacrifice. The lamb in today's lesson from John is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Those are the words that John the Baptiser used when he first saw Jesus.
Both of these symbols are tied to Christ's baptism. When Jesus was baptized scripture says the spirit of God descended on him like a dove.
FIFTH LESSON Mark 15:25-34 Chi Rho Cross Chrismon
Here's another Greek symbol. I've got one on my stole. The cross bar across the bottom is a Chi, the Greek letter that looks just like a capital X. The letter that looks like a P is the Greek letter Rho. Together Chi & Rho are the first letters of Christ in Greek. When we say that Jesus is "Christ" or "Messiah" we say that he has been anointed.
At my first church following worship one morning a member came up to me and as I extended my hand to shake hers, she pushed my hand away, and turned my stole around and said, "This has been driving me crazy all morning! Your stole is backwads!"
"Dena," I replied, "I can't figure that out. I checked it in the mirror right before worship!"
That these letters are in the shape of a cross reminds us of the death that Jesus the Christ endured to set us free from our sin.
SIXTH LESSON: Luke 24:1-7 Butterfly Chrismon
I looked and looked for the butterfly chrismon. I put a note on the box asking anyone to find it to bring it to me. It never turned up. So we'll have to make due with this symbol on my stole. It's a butterfly, sort of, trust me.
Anyway, butterflies are good symbols for Christians, because they remind us of the resurrection. Just as a butterfly lives, then forms a coccoon, then emerges from that coccoon as an entirely new creature, Jesus was in the sealed tomb for three days and emerged in a completely unexpected way. My sons and I have always been interested in insects. And I am always amazed when I see a caterpillar that's green and wrinkly and has horns emerge as a brightly colored butterfly capable of flight. It's a miracle of before and act. Butterflies remind Christians of the resurrection. And worshipping on Sunday reminds us of the resurrection. Every week we observe and celebrate the resurrection. That's what makes Christians distinct from other religions.
SEVENTH LESSON Revelation 22:12-13 Alpha & Omega Chrismon
We end where we began this morning, with the Alpha and Omega symbol. We remember eternity and that all of history all of creation is in God's hands. Amen.